After more than 60 years and 10,000 performances, local duo Memory Lane will take to the stage one last time as part of the Nantwich Jazz & Blues Festival, writes Jonathan White.
Ray Nicholls, 77, and Dave Prince, 78, have been playing guitar and singing for most of their lives.
But their journey as musicians will reach its finale on Good Friday (April 18) with a farewell performance at The Bowling Green pub in Nantwich.
Both Ray and Dave hail from Crewe, where their love for music first took root.
Ray’s journey began at just 11 when he sang Be-Bop-A-Lula with The Vampires at The Oddfellows Club.
Dave’s first gig came in 1963, fronting The Known with a two-song set, including Sweets for My Sweet.
The 1960s music scene in Crewe was thriving, with bands rehearsing in front rooms and hauling gear on bicycles.
By the mid 60s, Ray was playing with The Pacifics, a band that shared stages with The Hollies, Small Faces, Moody Blues, and more.
Meanwhile, Dave and his band took the cabaret route, performing in grand working men’s clubs under the name The Anteeks, complete with trendy orange suits.
After years of playing separately, the pair joined forces in the mid 70s when Dave joined Ray in Quadrant, a busy club band that performed three nights a week while both musicians juggled full-time jobs.
Their signature look was dark blue velvet jackets, oversized red bow ties, and shoulder-length hair.
Though Quadrant disbanded in 1982, both remained active in music.
Ray played in blues bands, while Dave joined The Cavaliers and even ran a recording studio in his shed.
The duo reunited at a friend’s funeral in 2018 and decided to see if they could still play together.
The answer was a resounding yes, and Memory Lane was born.
Over the past six years, they’ve performed in pubs, clubs, festivals, hotels, and even care homes, where their performances for dementia patients became a rewarding experience.
From playing alongside The Small Faces and Dusty Springfield to working on a Granada TV documentary, Ray and Dave have no shortage of highlights.
One standout memory is helping screaming fans off the stage at a Small Faces gig where their manager, a trained first aider, ensured they were unhurt before sending them back into the crowd.
As for Dave, he fondly recalls escorting Dusty Springfield – in full stage make-up and a towering bouffant – to a Northwich chippy, where she nearly caused a riot while waiting for her “six penn’orth.”
For one last chance to see Memory Lane in action, head to The Bowling Green on Friday 18th April from 6pm to 8pm.
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